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Author Topic: A technical bearding question-  (Read 1634 times)

Offline Brian Sisson

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A technical bearding question-
« on: July 18, 2006, 01:07:26 pm »
So, I had some problems with burr comb.  I asked for advice here and ended up putting my 2nd deep on the bottom.  I did not checkerboard it as I was unable to remove any framed from the 1st deep without hurting the bees.
Before I had installed the 2nd deep the bees were bearding at night in a pretty good clump.  I installed the new deep and they stopped bearding.
Last weekend I checked on them and they had not filled out a single frame on the 2nd deep.  I had installed a super on top of the 2 deeps and they had filled out about 5 frames and had 2 filled and capped.
I figured it was getting late in the year for this nonsense, so I checkered the 2nd deep and basically split the one full deep that I had between the two.  I also replaced the untouched frames, which were EZ frames, with traditional wax frames that were new.  
I put it all together again and said a short prayer for the bees and left.  
I did the same to the other hive as they were in the same state of affairs.

I noted that ever since they've been bearding at night.  Quite a bit.  It's in sharp contrast as last week there was no bearding and now there's a lot.  

My questions are-
What gives with the bearding?
Why won't they fill the deep on the bottom?
What can I do to make them better…stronger…faster?


Thanks,
-Brian

Offline Finsky

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Re: A technical bearding question-
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2006, 03:35:06 pm »
Quote from: Brian Sisson
I did not checkerboard it as I was unable to remove any framed from the 1st deep without hurting the bees.


However you must pull apart frames. Start from wall side. Loosen frame from one side and then another side. Use knife or something to lift first one.

Quote
Before I had installed the 2nd deep the bees were bearding at night in a pretty good clump.  I installed the new deep and they stopped bearding.


Yes, hive is too full of bees and honey.

 
Quote

My questions are-
What gives with the bearding?
Why won't they fill the deep on the bottom?
What can I do to make them better…stronger…faster?



Hive may be full of honey, bees,  out temperature ist hot and moist.

However you must open the brood are and look how it look. Outward syou cannot say nothing waht is happening.  They may try to swarm and you should handle it.

Go and open brood area.

Lift food frames uppermost, then empty frames and brood frames to bottom. GIve empty frames into brood area.

Sheck queen cells.

Offline tom

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I agree with you
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2006, 05:33:53 pm »
Hello

   I agree with Mr. Finsky but i did not put my second deep on the bottom i took a good frame of solid brood and moved it up to the second deep and now mine is just about full two frames of brood and the rest is being filled with honey. But i do have to go in and clean the burr comb built between frames of the first and second deep but my bees also beard at nite and the hive is roaring. You can try the checker board it will work even thou i did it with only one frame but i got my girls to move up.

Tom

Offline Brian D. Bray

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A technical bearding question-
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2006, 10:52:37 pm »
>> I also replaced the untouched frames, which were EZ frames, with traditional wax frames that were new.

Good move, some colonies are very tempermental about working plastic frames or plastic based foundations.  I've never had much luck with plastic the times I've tried it.  I have ten frames of it left over from when I was still using deeps the bees didn't take to it then and now it just gathers dust.  I've found that the bees will often swarm rather than work plastic frames.

An additional problem seems to be that you put a 2nd super on top of in addition to the one you put underneath the brood chamber.  2 supers of foundation is too much for a marginal hive to handle and if one ore both supers had plastic frames in just compounds the problems.

From the sounds of it, you need to cut the hive back to the brood chamber plus one partial super their working on and go to wood frames.  Spraying plastic frames with syrup or coating them with more wax are 2 ways some beekeepers have gotten bees to work the plastic frames.
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